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Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight #1

by Sean Tonelli on October 02, 2013

I have to get this out of the way. I am not a ‘grindhouse’ cinema fan. In fact, I tend to avoid any horror medium that does not zombies and/or vampires (non-sparkling, obviously). I choose to review Dark Horse’s new horror anthology, Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight #1, because, well, it was kind of a slow week and I was looking for something new and different. (You have to branch out people!) It’s just a shame that THIS is what I chose to read.

Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight #1 is a new horror anthology that aims to capture the spirit of the 70’s schlock cinema that Tarantino and Rodriguez tried to shove down our throats half a decade ago. The first story in the series, entitled ‘Bee Vixens from Mars’, tells a tale so painfully bland that the title is far more interesting than the book itself. At the very least, the premise of killer bees attacking an unsuspecting town should provide some thrills, but alas, all we are treated to is a sexist mess that sets the feminist movement in comics books back decades.

Eisner Award Nominee Alex Di Campi is being touted as a ‘writer to watch in 2013’, but this book is not selling anyone on this. Admittedly, yes, this book is a genre piece, yet it serves as a shining example of just how far the comic medium has come since books like this were published ad nauseam. In a world where readers are treated to thought provoking and sexually charged books, such as Sex Criminals and Saga, there is no need for this monolithic throwback to misogyny.

Despite the fact that all the women look like blow-up dolls in a bad porno from the nineties, Chris Peterson’s art is spectacular. The character models are vibrant, and the action is crisp. It felt like I was looking at a Guillermo Del Toro movie that was written by Uwe Boll. It’s an unfortunate waste of talent for everyone involved.

Our Score:

2/10

A Look Inside

Comments

Couldn't agree with you more. I'm also not a fan of Grindhouse pictures, but I did enjoy the 2 Tarantino/Rodriguez films as a guilty pleasure. I just think that this is a medium that doesn't translate well to comics.